President Trump announced Wednesday a ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Hamas, paving the way for the release of 20 living hostages and relief for nearly 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

Trump said the two sides signed off on “the first Phase” of a peace plan he announced late last month, a major reprieve to halt more than two years of war since Hamas brutally attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. 

“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly!” Trump said in a post on his social media site Truth Social. 

“This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement minutes later. “With God’s help we will bring them all home,” he said, referring to the hostages. Hamas also holds the bodies of 28 hostages. 

Netanyahu said he will convene the government tomorrow “to approve the agreement and bring all our beloved hostages home.”

The ceasefire deal comes after Hamas and Israel agreed last week to enter into negotiations, with senior officials arriving in Egypt on Monday to solidify the deal. 

Full details of the ceasefire deal were not immediately publicized. Majed al-Ansari, adviser to Qatar’s prime minister, said in a post on the social platform X that the details for implementing the first phase of the deal would be announced later, but provisions of the deal will include a halt to the war, the release of hostages by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners by Israel, and a resurgence of aid into Gaza. 

Trump said earlier on Wednesday that he could travel to the Middle East this weekend to oversee the ceasefire deal. 

The deal comes after Trump intensified diplomatic efforts to halt the war, after Israel carried out strikes against Hamas officials residing in Qatar and without consulting the U.S. Trump said he was “very unhappy” with the strike against a major military ally of the U.S. and the primary negotiator in efforts to end the war. 

Netanyahu, under pressure from Trump, agreed to the president’s 20-point plan for ending the war with Hamas. The president relied on a coalition of leaders from Arab, Gulf and Muslim-majority countries to pressure Hamas to also accept the deal. 

The ceasefire comes as Israel’s war against Hamas entered its third year on Tuesday. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, according to Gaza health officials, at least half believed to be women and children. 

Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza has turned global public opinion away from the country, after what initially was solidarity in the face of horrific atrocities committed by Hamas against civilians in the south of Israel. 

Netanyahu and his former minister of defense, Yoav Gallant, were indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, and a case accusing them of genocide has been brought before the International Court of Justice. 

Trump is touting his 20-point plan as a pathway to enduring peace in the Middle East, but Hamas and Israel remain deeply divided on many issues beyond the initial ceasefire. Hamas has not agreed to completely lay down its arms and give up political power in the strip, while Netanyahu has said he will never allow the creation of a Palestinian state. 

Updated: 7:33 p.m.